Over My Head (Part I)
by West
Summary: What would school be like if the newsies went there? Well, add some listies and a private school in Los Angeles and there you have it.


"This is the most fun I've had all day," I remarked dryly; 'this' being staring blankly at a computer screen. I swung my legs back and forth, back and forth, like those things that hypnotists use. I swiveled around in my chair to face Gen S. so that we could continue our conversation about the latest drama in the 8th grade.  
  
"Do you guys do *anything* productive in this class?" Ryan asked, from the doorway.  
  
"No," we all answered together, before turning back to whatever insignificant little thing we had been  
doing. Ryan shook his head, muttered something about wishing he had taken Ruah, and then continued on his way to P.E., where he would play some inane little game with other people who were all sweating like pigs in a room that stank like last year. I smiled as I leaned back in my swivel chair. Life was good. This was the class for Ruah, the school's literacy magazine that came out once a year. We were *supposed* to be editing the poems and stories and typing them up. "Supposed" being the only word of any significance. Our one lowly source of supervision, Mr. Rauser, was standing in the far doorway, arguing with Garrett over some asinine little thing that no one else would care about. Knowing Rauser and Garrett, that little argument would probably last the entire period, or until Garrett remembered about the invention called a clock and realized how late he was for his advanced band class of which he was so proud.  
  
"And, dude, I can't believe what a complete *slut* she's becoming..." Gen continued. I nodded my head, only half listening. Okay, so I really wasn't listening at all, but is that really important? I tapped my foot to the rhythm of "Cowboy" by Kid Rock, which was blasting from Sally's CD player. I glanced around. Johnna was smiling knowingly at me, which could only mean one thing. CHRIS ALERT! I looked out the closer doorway, and of course, just caught a glimpse of Chris C. walking by. I turned back to Johnna and mouthed "thank you."  
Sally was banging her head to "Bawitdaba," Sacha was sitting at her desk actually trying to get some work done (which probably wouldn't last long), Gingi was doing the same (again, same comment), and Gen was still gossiping nonstop to Sonia and me. On the board were the words, "Ruah 101," written by Rauser, and underneath in small letters were the words, "Home of the Slackers," probably written by Sally, truer words never written. Pushing on the computer desk, I leaned just... a... little ...further back in my chair, trying to see just... a... little... further... out the door.   
Just as I caught one fleeting glance of Chris, reality hit me hard. Literally. I lost my balance and fell backwards off my chair, and smacked my head on the leg of a desk on the way down. The whole room fell silent before laughter exploded like an atomic bomb. I jumped up, scarlet with embarrassment.  
  
"I'm fine!" I exclaimed, desperately. Yeah, like they cared.   
  
"Trying to catch another glimpse of Chris' ass?" someone piped up. I turned in the direction of where Johnna had been sitting, knowing she was the only one who would make a comment like that. But instead of seeing Johnna sitting there, there was a girl who looked to be about 16, had coppery-colored hair, and a smiling face.  
  
"Maybe I'm *not* fine..." I muttered, sitting back down. Okay, I *definitely* was not fine.  
  
"You okay, West?" someone asked. Wait. Back up. She didn't just say what I think she did...did she? She *did* call me West, right? Uno problemo: Only people on the NML call me West...   
  
"Weeest?" the girl repeated in a sing-song voice. I nodded that I was okay. Even though I wasn't. Long, dark, blond hair, glasses, pale skin...Lily. The girl who was sitting where Johnna had been must be Copper. Figures she would make a comment about Chris, she knows about all my (current) crushes. But, wait, where were Gen, Sonia, Sacha, Sally, Johnna, and Gingi? You know, the people that are *usually* in here right now.   
I glanced at the board again. Instead of "Ruah 101: Home of the Slackers," it now stated, "Newsies 101: Home of the NML." I shook my head in denial. Nooo. There were seven girls in Ruah, but in this class there were fifteen. My head hurt. A lot.   
In a desperate attempt to forget about my pounding headache, I tried to figure out who was who. Two girls across the room were in a heated debate as to whether Dr. Pepper was superior to Surge. That was easy: July and Clink. (By the way, it's Surge, just so you know.) Another debate, on the other side of the room, was over who should rightfully claim Jack. That was Trapper and Shasta. I spotted another pair of girls talking, one with an owl charm around her neck, the other with a key. Need I even say Owl and Key? No, I need not, but I did anyway.  
Suddenly, the bell rang and everyone grabbed their backpacks and headed outside. I quickly analyzed the remaining people. Moinkies, Coneflower, Dyna, Monday, Luna, and Jazz. (What, no Wisecracks? Hmmm, maybe she was in another class…) I suddenly remembered reading Copper's fic, in which the same thing happened. So maybe I was in the same kind of parallel universe as well. I shrugged it off and decided not to dwell on it. I mean, why question a good thing?   
Our little newsy group broke apart and headed to our lockers. My locker was locker #4. I consider myself lucky since some people have lockers like #396 or #899, which are on the other side of campus. But mine's #4. How cool is that? It turned out that me, Dyna, and Lily all had side by side lockers. I smiled as I noticed all three of us all had Nirvana stickers on our locker doors. (GO NIRVANA! YEAH! *ahem* Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.) I grabbed my math books and met back with everyone else. Then a thought hit me and knocked me to the ground... (Well, you didn't think I mean it *literally*, did you? You did? Oh well.)   
Anyway, my disturbing thought is this: I go to Middle School, yet people like Lily who are 18, are here. Riiiight. So my school is suddenly 6 through...whatever? Or maybe everyone just got held back. A lot. Yeah, that's it.   
Then another thought occurred to me. Today was a free dress day, but tomorrow wasn't. It was going to be hilarious to see everyone in the group in our stupid little private school uniforms. Ahaha, I am so evil. The bell rang, signaling break was over and I headed to math, sullenly. I was the only moron out of us who was in Pre-algebra. Lucky me.   
Once in the classroom, the usual wisecracks were made, no work was accomplished, and we succeeded in driving Ms. Sahakian over the edge. Just another day in Period 7, Math. About halfway through the period, while I was busy laughing at a joke Zander had made (that was actually *funny* too!), I happened to glance where Larry sat. He'd been awfully quiet, I mean, even for him--I stopped dead. Instead of Larry, there was... the one and only Racetrack Higgins. He still had colorblindness, apparently, judging from his little plaid ensemble.   
So the newsies went here too, huh? Maybe this wasn't such a bad school after all. So why hadn't I heard his name when our teacher called roll? I wracked my brain. Again, not literally. Anthony Higgins. That's what she had called him. But Race still seemed to be his nickname since that's what people were calling him. I smiled happily and went back to my work. Racetrack's in my math class, nananabooboo!   
My day was starting to look up.p  
  
~*~*~*~*~p  
  
I tapped my pencil on the desk impatiently, and stared at the clock, willing it to strike 3:00. "Come on, clock! Get to 3:00 already! You know you want to!" I glanced back around the room slowly. Owl was mocking the teacher, Ms. Kamin, making faces behind her back but with an angelic look on her face the second the teacher turned around. Coney looked like she was actually taking notes, but upon further investigation, I found she was just writing a note to Wisecracks. Zander, Race, and Chris all sat right next to each other and were throwing things at the ditzes across the room. Sure, we learn. Just not in U.S. History class.   
I felt someone jab me in the back with a pen. I turned around, annoyed at being disturbed. All right, so I wasn't doing anything important but *still*! It's the principle of the thing!   
  
Ryan handed me note, "Give this to Key," he said, rolling his eyes. I glanced behind Ryan, to where Spot was sitting with that classic Conlon smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. Oh, please. I threw the note at Key and continued my sketch of Racetrack. Suddenly, I felt someone watching me. Glancing up, I saw both Zander and Chris were admiring my loverly sketch *cough*yeahright*cough*. I covered it with my hand and shoved it back into my binder. Zander looked at me funny, but then went back to his…whatever he'd been doing. Chris, however, took the liberty of making fun of me.   
  
"Ooooh, you got the hots for Race?" Chris teased.   
  
I rolled my eyes, and in a desperate/brave attempt to change the subject I said, "Aw, you know I don't have the hots for anyone else but you, Chris." Now, don't think I'm a flirt. Because I'm not. I would normally never do something like that, but this was a desperate situation. Well, not really. But I can still claim it is. Just then, the bell rang. My savior. I grabbed my backpack and books, and literally ran out of the room and to my locker before Chris could respond. I leaned against my locker, catching my breath.   
  
"U.S. History that bad?" Dyna asked, as she walked out of the classroom for Honors World Studies, which happened to be right by our lockers. I nodded.   
  
"You don't know the half of it." I muttered. Dyna turned around, glanced at Chris who was looking at me pretty funny, and looked back at me.   
  
"No, but I can just imagine." She said, smiling sweetly. Suddenly her face fell. "Crap, I forgot my wallet in the Student Center. I'll talk to you later." She said as she scampered off. I could just *hear* her cackling.   
  
"No! Wait! Dynaaaaaaaaa!" I called desperately. But it was too late, she was gone. Why does Chris have to have a locker right near mine? Fate is *so* cruel.   
  
"So, what was that little comment about?" he asked, smirking. I shrugged and continued to collect the books I would need that night. I was at a loss for words. Yeah, well, there's a first for everything, now isn't there?   
  
"Look, um, I gotta go. Talk to you on Monday?" I asked hurriedly. He nodded and I waved quickly and vowed to hunt down Dyna and kill her. But first I needed to talk to Owl. p  
  
~*~*~*~*~p  
  
"So, Skittery ask you to the Dinner Dance yet?" I asked. Owl shook her head. The Dinner Dance was a fairly large dance that was held by the school every year. It used to be only 8th grade, but now that the school was suddenly 6-12th, all 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders were invited. It was pretty much like the prom, but for five grades. But it was just as big of a deal.   
  
"Nope, but Dave asked Copper, Spot asked Key, Bumlets asked Monday, and Race is probably going to ask Ace or Shady." Owl said. I nodded somewhat absentmindedly. I still had no date for the Formal. It was confirmed that Tony was an ass-hole (looong story, yeah, I know you got time, you're reading this after all, but--oh, be quiet!) and Chris wasn't interested. And apparently Race wasn't either. Damn.   
  
"A lot of people aren't going with a date, you know." Owl said, trying to be comforting, though to herself or me, I wasn't sure.   
  
"I know." I said, then quickly changed the subject. "So, we still all going to Six Flags tonight?" Owl nodded an affirmative, and we went back to watching the guys' soccer game, which they were losing pretty badly. But no surprise there. p  
  
~*~*~*~*~p  
  
"My money deteriorated." I announced. As I noticed all the blank looks I continued, "You know, because we went on Tidal Wave and I got soaked…it deteriorated in my pocket." In case it wasn't obvious, we were at Six Flags and I was trying to get someone to lend me some money to go on Dive Devil with Lily and Tink. And no, my money didn't really deteriorate. I just needed someone to lend me money. Finally, I was able to con Ten Pin into lending me $15 and we waited on line for the ride.   
  
"Did I forget to mention that I'm afraid of heights?" I asked, nervously.   
  
"150 feet, that's how far we're gonna fall. And it goes 60 mph when you're free falling." Lily exclaimed, happily.   
  
"Don't remind me." Tink mumbled, looking a little sick. Suddenly we were pulled over to the launch area and we had to put on those stupid harness thingys. They latched us onto the cord and started to raise us up so… very… slowly. Finally, at the top 150 feet, they stopped.   
  
"Alpha 5... 4... 3... 2... 1, FLY!" And with that, Lily pulled the cord and we started falling.   
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" we all screamed. I could just see people wincing and covering their ears. After a couple minutes we calmed down, and as we swing back and forth, we started singing "Fly" by Sugar Ray.   
  
"AND IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII JUST WANNA FLYYYYYYYY!!!" we sang/screamed. Dreams coming true. Sadly, the ride ended and they made us get off. But we still had an adrenaline high. :-)   
  
"I almost pissed in my pants!" I announced happily.   
  
"That's great, West. We're so proud of you, honey!" Tink joked.   
  
"Okay, where to now?" Blink asked.   
  
"RIDDLER'S REVENGE," about half of us screamed. I think it was unanimous. As we waited on the line, they started turning the lights in the park on as it was getting darker. Once we made it inside, to the launching area, they had turned on the disco lights and that crappy techno music they play in there 24/7. I'd hate to work on that ride.   
Most of us had split up onto different lines. Me, Jack, and Gen (Newsies Gen, not Gen S.) were all on the last line since we wanted to be in the last row of seats. As I turned around to ask Gen something, I saw that she was making out with Jack.   
  
"Gag me." I muttered, and turned back around. Well, if they weren't going to gag me, they could at least bring me a barf bucket.   
  
"Hey!" Tink said happily, as she ducked under the rails and into my line.   
  
"My hero." I said, smiling wryly.   
  
"Hah, well not really. Just trying to escape from Evil Clink..." Tink said, but was interrupted as Clink bounced into our line.   
  
"HA! And you thought you could escape! *Mwhahaha*" A slightly-psychotic Clink yelled. Let's just say that she was getting a lot of attention. From strangers. We made a scene. Oh joy.   
Clink passed around her bottle of Surge/Pixi Stix to me and Tink (she would have given some to Gen, but Jack and Gen were still, how you say, sucking each other's faces) and just as the ride pulled up, Clink grabbed Jake's bowler hat (he was standing in the line next to us) and scampered onto the ride before he could do anything. Personally, I think she's a little too attached to that bowler, but who am I to judge?   
  
"Hey, Clink, one thing. This is a stand-up roller coaster. How're you gonna hold onto the hat while riding it?" Tink asked, puzzled.   
  
"Easy." Clink said, smirking. And with that, she shoved it down her pants. Oh my.   
  
"You're *sick*." I stated in disgust. Clink just smiled in a 'I know' type of way. I shook my head thinking, "Why do I hang out with such sickos?" Oh yeah. I am one. As Bernardo once said in WSS, Every dog knows his (or her) own.   
  
"We need one more person in this section!" Clink yelled. Each row seated four people: Tink, Clink, and me were all in it already and Jack and Gen wanted to ride together and had stayed behind, so we still needed one person. Just then, Skittery stepped onto the ride.   
  
"Hey Tink!" he said a little too happily. Oh, poor Owl. Then he noticed the OTHER two people there, "Clink, West." he said, acknowledging our existence in life. Now I can die happy. Yeah right.   
So, the ride started, and we started going up the first climb, ever so slowly. Figuring that I had a while until the ride *really* started, I began to sing/scream "Last Resort" by Papa Roach. Even though that's not really the choice music of everyone else. *Mwhahahahah!*   
  
"Cut my life into pieces, this is my last resoooort. Suffocation- no breathing. Don't give a f*** if I cut my arm, bleeding. This is my last resoooort." I sang.   
  
"SHUT *UP*, WEST!" everyone yelled in unison.   
  
"Losin' my sight, losin' my mind, wish somebody would tell me I'm fine. Nothin's all right, nothin' is fine. I'm runnin' and I'm cryyyyyyyyy-"   
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I was rudely cut off by all the screaming people as we started speeding down the first slope. *Tsk* *Tsk*. What rude people. Hmph.   
As the ride ended, I twisted around in my seat just long enough to grab Jake's bowler off Clink's head and hand it to him. He smiled and put it on.  
  
"Thanks West."  
  
"Well, I don't know if you wanna wear that especially after where Clink put it and all…" I trailed off. He shook his head in disgust.  
  
"I don't even want to know. Just let me think that it's been on her head the whole time. I'm disillusioned. I know." Jake said, in mock-sadness. I nodded in an understanding way before I turned back around and started laughing.  
  
"Clink, look what you've done to that poor boy! He's scarred for life!" I exclaimed. Clink smiled evilly and blew kisses at Jake. He grimaced and shielded his face.  
  
"No! Make her stop!!!" he wailed making everyone laugh as we exited the ride. I looked around and noticed only half of us were there. So the remaining people were still waiting to get on the ride. I could see them across the tracks waiting on line, so we yelled across to them and made plans to meet outside of Colossus, a wooden rollercoaster on the other side of the park. Our whole group walked along slowly. I surveyed who was still with us: Clink, Jake, Shaker, Tink, Skittery, July, Coneflower, Mush, Racetrack, Owl, Ten Pin, and me. Cone and I started theorizing what would happen if there were tons of little West and Coneflower clones running around Six Flags. Let's just say that the thought of it was rather scary.   
  
"And just think, there would be tons of little us' that think like us and act like us and are psychotic like us…and we would be able to control them and have them go annoy more people!" I exclaimed happily. Coney grinned.  
  
"Yeah! And then we could send them to take over the world!" she continued. Mush looked somewhat uneasy.  
  
"You guys are starting to scare me." He said solemnly. I smirked.  
  
"It wouldn't be the first time." Ten Pin quipped. I shot him a dirty look before linking arms with July and Cone as we began to sing "We're Off to See the Wizard" from the Wizard of Oz. Ten Pin rolled his eyes.  
  
"How you can actually handle going out with one of those nutballs is beyond me." He said jokingly to Mush. Mush shrugged and smiled as we he put his arm around Coneflower.  
  
"Awww, how sweet." I said before making a face. By this time we had reached the ride, which had practically no line since most people are too lazy to walk out to it. I ran to the furthest gate for the last car, only to find Skittery right behind me.   
  
"Mind if I ride with you?" he asked.   
  
"Go ahead." I said. That was such a stupid question. Do I mind? Of course I do! Was he dense or something??? Ah, well, he probably was.   
The ride pulled up and I jumped in, scooting as far away from Skittery as possible. Now, don't get me wrong. He's cool and everything as a friend. But he had been hitting on us girls all day right in front of Owl, which really sucks for her. The ride started and we began the slow climb to the top. Just as we reached the point where you're supposed to go down, the ride screeched and stopped dead.  
  
"Awww, f***." I said leaning back and closing my eyes tiredly. This just had to happen, didn't it?  
  
"Looks like we're gonna be here for a while." Skittery said as he put his arm around my shoulders.  
  
"Hands off." I commented he did as was told, looking a little hurt. "Okay, look, let's get something straight. I don't like you as anything more then a friend. And it's going to stay that way. Now, Owl over there likes you so go for her and as for me, I like Racetrack so my eyes are only for him." I said, finishing my little speech. Skittery shut up, which was good news for me. I sighed and tried to get comfortable which isn't easy when you're sitting on a rock-hard seat with a metal bar digging into your legs. Well, at least Colossus wasn't an upside down rollercoaster, so therefor I didn't have to deal with one of those things that goes over your shoulders and locks you in.  
  
"This sucks." I commented bitterly. "The ride isn't supposed to stop dead. It's supposed to go down. Not get us stuck up here."  
  
"Hey West, just shut up and enjoy the view." Racetrack said as he turned around in his seat (which just happened to be in the car right in front of us).  
  
"What view? It's a parking lot to the left of us, a ugly, orange rollercoaster to the right of us, and bare desert behind and in front of us." I complained. I said that with so much bitterness, I think I scared Racetrack because he quickly turned around and started talking to Owl who was in front of him. Great. Now I felt bad. Damn you, Racetrack.  
  
"WHO'S UP FOR SOME TRUTH OR DARE???" Tink yelled, cackling evilly. Our group of people, which took up six cars, basically shrugged and mumbled things about us not having anything better to do, so we started to play.  
  
"Um, Clink. Truth or dare?" Tink asked Clink (Oooh! It rhymes!). Clink thought for a couple seconds.  
  
"Truth." She said finally. Tink pouted.  
  
"Fine. Um... Shaker or Jake? Which one's a better kisser?" Clink's face fell.  
  
"Ouch, talk about a question to ruin some friendships." I said solemnly.  
  
"Do I really have to answer that?" Clink frowned, glancing at Shaker and Jake.  
  
"Yes." All 11 of us said simultaneously. Clink sighed.  
  
"Fine. Jake is the better kisser. Moving on though... OWL! Truth or dare?" Clink said hurriedly, trying to ignore the hurt look on Shaker's face.  
  
"Truth." Owl said.  
  
"Do you think it would be possible for you to give up on Skittery?" Clink asked, smirking.  
  
"If you had asked prior to today I would have said no, I could never give up on him. But seeing as how you asked me today, I'm going to say: I've already given up on him." Owl said, with a smirk. The shocked look on Skittery's face was quite worth it, although I'm still amazed at the fact that he was shocked.  
  
"But, but but, what'd I do?" Skittery demanded.  
  
"Look, honey, it's not that hard to see why. Get over it." Owl said sweetly before getting back to business. "Race, truth or dare?"  
  
"Well, I'm gonna be original and say dare." Race said, looking like he was going to regret that.  
  
"Kiss West. On the lips. With tongue."  
  
"Need it be so graphic?" I groaned.  
  
"Oh, shut up, you know you'll enjoy it." July yelled from the middle of the line of cars.  
  
"Ah, shove it July." I muttered, eyeing Racetrack who was looking at me expectantly. Yes, I wanted to kiss him (despite the fact that I had been making comments about everyone else who acted mushy today), just not in front of this many people and not because it was a dare. Thankfully, a miracle occurred. The ride actually started working again! The heavens opened up as "Hallelujah" played loudly. Uh…yeah. I sighed with relief as the rollercoaster plunged down. I was saved. For now, anyway.   
As we exited the ride, I made sure I was as far away from Race as I could get, and in between Skittery and Owl who were arguing loudly. The 12 of us sat down on this bridge-thing, as we waited for all the people who had been on line for Riddler and were now probably on Colossus since we had taken so long. I was bored, so I decided to play referee in the verbal fight Skittery and Owl were currently involved in.  
  
"Did you just call me a bastard?" Skittery demanded.  
  
"Oh wow, the boy can listen." Owl said, sarcastically.  
  
"Blow me." Skittery said through gritted teeth.  
  
"No thanks, sweetheart." Owl commented before stalking off, with Skittery close behind her.  
  
"Egotistical, pessimistic player and sarcastic bitch. Not a good combination." I said to whoever was within earshot. I looked up and saw Racetrack approaching me. Oooh, time for me to spaz out and chicken out, as well!  
  
"Oh look! There's Gen and Jack and everyone!" I exclaimed, running over to the rest of our group as they joined us. Saved. Although I don't know what I was saved from.   
That's when I stopped and actually realized that there were 20 of us, which I consider a lot. Asides from the twelve people who I mentioned before, there were: Gen, Jack, Gypsy, Monday, Lily, Doll, Dutchy, and Kid Blink.  
  
"Hey, you guys? How 'bout a change of scenery? I'm kinda getting tired of this place." Gypsy spoke up. There were various nods of agreement and we all voted on heading over to various places. In the end, this is how it went: Gypsy, Kid Blink, Gen, Jack, Mush, Coneflower, Lily, and Dutchy were all going to the movies. Monday, Doll, Tink, July, Clink, Owl, and me were going to head over to my house. And the remaining guys: Skittery, Racetrack, Jake, Shaker, and Ten Pin were all going home with Race (who lived in this huge mansion since his dad was an amazing gambler who won all this money in poker and horse racing).  
So with that, we all headed wherever we were planning on going. 


End file.
